Antigraft investigators on Thursday (01/02) handed over to prosecutors a case in which a lawyer has been charged with hampering a corruption probe into former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto, an antigraft spokesman said. (Antara Photo/Galih Pradipta)

Jakarta. Antigraft investigators on Thursday (01/02) handed over to prosecutors a case in which a lawyer has been charged with hampering a corruption probe into former House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto, an antigraft spokesman said.

The move ended about a month of investigation into Setya's former lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, and means he will soon stand trial.

Prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) are now drawing up an indictment against Fredrich, agency spokesman Febri Diansyah said.

"Prosecutors will then hand this case over to court immediately," he told reporters.

The first hearing of Fredrich's trial will be scheduled at the Jakarta Corruption Court after the handover, Febri added.

Thursday's handover came after Fredrich lodged a pretrial appeal with another court, the South Jakarta District Court, last month to have his suspect status dropped.

The first hearing of the pretrial is scheduled for Monday. But Fredrich's appeal, by law, will be void once he is indicted at the Jakarta Corruption Court.

Fredrich objected to Thursday's handover, Febri said.

"This handover doesn't require approval from the suspect," he said.

Fredrich, who is accused of having made attempts to help Setya dodge the graft investigation into him, was brought in by force last month after failing to show up for his first questioning session by KPK investigators.

He has since been put in KPK custody.

Investigators initially failed to find Setya, who is now standing trial on graft charges, when attempting to arrest him at his home in Jakarta late last year.

However, Setya, having been declared a graft fugitive, was eventually taken into custody after being involved in a car crash and his subsequent admission to a hospital in Jakarta.

Investigators have found that Fredrich allegedly made a phone call to the hospital, Medika Permata Hijau, to book a VIP room before the car crash took place.

Fredrich had also allegedly colluded with Bimanesh Sutarjo, a doctor at the hospital who has also been named a suspect in the case, to manipulate Setya's medical records.

Both Fredrich and Bimanesh could face up to 12 years in jail if found guilty.